Hundreds of firms chase £800m framework

YORK: Procurement managers for a social housing framework for the Yorkshire and Humberside region have been overwhelmed by the response from local and regional contractors.

The huge response to the invitation to pre-qualify vindicated the organiser's decision to tailor work packages to allow smaller trade contractors into the huge four-year improvement programme.

Efficiency North, which is organising bidding for the framework, said substantial numbers of trade contractors responded to the invitation to prequalify for the £800m repairs and maintenance framework.

Seven landlords from the region have signed up to the E N Procure Elemental Works Framework in a bid to drive down costs and make big savings on maintenance costs.

Lee Parkinson, chief executive of Efficiency North, said: "The level of interest from local and regional SMEs has exceeded our expectations in this the first key gateway stage. "We are pleased that our efforts to ensure that the entire market spectrum was engaged have been effective and we look forward to developing a competitive and high performance elemental works framework which can be accessed by the region's public sector bodies," he said.